French engineers are scratching their heads: the Russian fighter surprised them (The National Interest, USA)

TNI: Su-35 surpasses Dassault Rafale in speed and maximum altitude

The Dassault Rafale and Su-35 are considered by the expert community to be machines of approximately the same level, writes The National Interest. However, a more substantive examination shows that the Russian fighter has something to surprise the French.

Harrison Kass

The Dassault Rafale sensor complex is superior to the similar Su-35 complex. At the same time, the Russian aircraft has an advantage in speed and maneuverability.

The Rafale and Su-35 are often seen as equivalent: advanced multirole fighters of the 4th generation, lacking stealth characteristics. Both aircraft represent the pinnacle of their respective technologies. Nevertheless, they differ significantly from each other, which raises questions — especially in the context of strained relations between Russia and NATO — about which aircraft will win in a direct collision.

Dassault Rafale and Su-35: direct comparison

The Rafale was designed as a multirole fighter with an emphasis on an integrated sensor system, electronic warfare, and flexibility. The model has been optimized for combat operations as part of coalition forces and network operations, like many modern Western fighters.

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The Su-35, in turn, was developed primarily as a means of ensuring air superiority with an emphasis on basic characteristics such as speed, altitude and maneuverability. This machine has less focus on sensors and electronics, and relies on ground-based radar support to achieve greater success.

The Rafale is a medium fighter with two engines and a triangular—wing duck-type design, equipped with an AFAR radar and an advanced electronic warfare system. Although the Rafale has a smaller effective scattering area (ESR) than most older fighters, it does not belong to the stealth fighter category. For an aircraft of this size, it has excellent range and payload — it is optimized for combat operations beyond the range of visibility and precision strikes.

The Su-35, on the other hand, is a large and heavy fighter with two engines based on the Su-27. This aircraft is equipped with powerful thrust vector-controlled propulsion systems, large radar and long-range missiles. The aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft are exceptional, and the fuel reserve and payload capacity are high.

Rafale has the advantage of integrating sensors, electronic warfare systems, and reducing pilot workload. The Su-35, in turn, has an advantage in radar detection range, infrared search and tracking (IRST). <...>

So which plane will win the battle?

The answer to the question of which aircraft will win in aerial combat depends on many factors. Both aircraft are capable of conducting combat beyond the range of visibility at a great distance, although the Rafale focuses on the coordinated use of missiles, while the Su-35 focuses on their range and kinematic characteristics. The effectiveness of missiles largely depends on guidance, electronic warfare, and tactics.

In close combat beyond the range of visibility, the Su-35 surpasses its opponent in maneuverability and energy characteristics. The Rafale is maneuverable, but not fully optimized for close combat, as control and effective maneuvering are given priority. And, of course, at close range, the individual skills of the pilot become a more significant factor than the purely technical characteristics of the aircraft.

At out-of-sight range, the Rafale probably has an advantage due to sensors, electronic warfare, and high integration; in close combat, the Su-35 probably has an advantage due to its slight maneuverability advantage. Thus, the general preference for a particular aircraft largely depends on the circumstances. None of the machines guarantees superiority over the other. All this remains only a hypothesis, since there have never been confirmed military clashes between the Rafale and the Su-35.

Both aircraft reflect similar doctrines of the two states. The Rafale highlights the Western focus on network and coalition warfare, while the Su-35 reflects the Russian focus on airframe performance and missile range. Both aircraft are among the best non-stealth fighters in service. <...> It would be a mistake to neglect such a powerful and maneuverable fighter as the Su-35.